Bipartisan USA FREEDOM Act would end the bulk, dragnet collection of Americans’ phone data and institute meaningful oversight of the government’s surveillance programs

Last week, Kuster called on the Obama Administration to launch a rigorous, top-to-bottom review of the entire NSA and all of its programs

After calling on the Obama Administration to launch a rigorous, top-to-bottom review of the entire National Security Agency (NSA) and all of its programs, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) this week signed onto bipartisan legislation that would reign in some of the NSA’s worst excesses and deliver meaningful reform to the Agency’s surveillance activities. The bipartisan United and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ending Eavesdropping, Dragnet Collection, and Online Monitoring (USA FREEDOM) Act would put an end to the NSA’s bulk collection of phone records and institute rigorous, meaningful oversight over the government’s surveillance programs.

“The NSA is clearly in need of significant reform that will better safeguard our constitutionally-protected right to privacy,” Kuster said. “Unlike previous efforts that would have only temporarily defunded specific NSA activities, the USA FREEDOM Act would make comprehensive reforms that will bring greater transparency and accountability to intelligence programs. That’s the right way to begin restoring a more responsible balance between preserving our national security and protecting our privacy.”

In addition to ending the bulk collection of Americans’ communications records, the USA FREEDOM Act would:

• Strengthen the prohibition on targeting foreign individuals with the goal of obtaining communications involving Americans;
• Require the government to more aggressively filter and discard information about Americans accidentally collected through NSA programs;
• Create an Office of the Special Advocate (OSA) tasked with promoting privacy interests before the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC)’s closed proceedings;
• Institute new and more robust FISC reporting requirements to Congress;
• Grant the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight  Board subpoena authority to investigate issues related to privacy and national security; and
• End “secret laws” by requiring the Attorney General to publicly disclose all FISC decisions issued after July 10, 2003 that contain significant constructions or interpretations of law.

The legislation, which was introduced on October 29 by Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), has already earned broad support from across the political spectrum.  It has also won the endorsement of organizations including the American Civil Liberties Union, Government Accountability Project, Project on Government Oversight, Information Technology Industry Council, and other organizations committed to reforming government surveillance programs and protecting privacy.

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